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“She sucked ass,” Jester said after the door closed and blew a raspberry.
“She was like an octopus being electrocuted!” Veth made a flailing motion with her drumsticks.
Beau just sighed. The day of auditions for a new bass player had been a disaster. It had been two weeks since they'd kicked Avantika from Chaos Crew for trying to seduce Jester's boyfriend.
“What do we do now? Try another day?” Jester pouted.
“I guess,” Beau shrugged.
“When? The gig is in three days. Even if we have more auditions tomorrow there's no way they'll learn all the songs in the set list by then. We're fucked!" said Veth.
“Could we just…go without. I know it won't sound the same but the show must go on right?” Beau suggested.
Before either of her bandmates could answer there was a knock on the door.
“Coooooome in!” Jester half-shouted and half-sung.
The door into the rehearsal space opened and a woman stuck her head in.
“Uh, hello, is it too late to audition? I didn't see the ad until about ten minutes ago, figured I should get down here quickly.”
Beau felt like a deer in headlights. She had no idea why but she was instantly put off balance by the new arrival.
“Might as well, the rest were all shit,” Veth waved for the newcomer to enter.
“Come in, come in, I'm Jester, who are you?”
“Yasha.”
Yasha was tall, with broad shoulders. She was muscular, her tattooed arms were left bare by the black sleeveless tank-top she was wearing. The top had a design with three white skulls on it. She had black hair streaked with white. She had heavy dark make-up around her eyes and black lipstick. As well as several ear piercings she had a labret piercing through her bottom lip and a ring through her septum.
Beau had a deep surge of want her chest. If Yasha wanted to be their bass player then Beau was ready to sign her up right now.
Yasha had a guitar case and had brought her own amp. Jester quickly showed her how to get set up.
Beau just watched, her own guitar was hanging on her by the straps.
“I've seen you guys play before. It's kind of embarrassing but I've got your calendar up in my bedroom,” said Yasha.
The calendar had been Jester's idea. They'd printed a few and sold them at gigs around December and January. Beau still had a box of them somewhere in her apartment. It had mostly been moody shots of the band but a couple of summer months had them in beachwear. The idea that Yasha had a picture of her in a bikini top and shorts for some reason made Beau feel a flutter of panic.
If she had been alone she would have slapped herself. Instead she just took a breath and tried to think about anything other than how hot Yasha was.
Yasha got out her bass guitar and it was an absolute beauty.
“Do you have something you want to play? We know all the good songs,” Jester said.
Veth got Beau’s attention with cough and gave her a knowing look.
Now that she’d been busted staring at Yasha Beau looked down and pretended to fiddle with her guitar strings.
“I know Angel of Irons,” Yasha said. That was one of Chaos Crew’s most popular songs.
“Hell yeah,” Jester grinned, her tail swishing behind her. “Angel of Irons!” She looked back to Beau and Veth. Beau gave her a nod. For a bassist audition it was a solid choice, there was a pulsing bass riff that featured heavily in the song and a few complicated parts in the chorus.
“Angel of Irons!” Veth screamed and then counted them in while slapping her drumsticks together. “One two three!”
Distracted by Yasha starting the song Beau almost missed her cue to come in. She was a beat late but she was pretty sure she covered it.
The song was upbeat and loud and Yasha absolutely killed it. She fit in like she had been playing with the band for months.
When the finished the song there was silence.
“Oh my god you are so good!” Yasha clapped.
“Yeah, not bad,” Beau said, trying to sound cool and like she didnt want to run her tongue over Yasha's biceps.
“Thanks,” Yasha smiled. “I'm sure you had better candidates but just getting to play with you guys was amazing.”
“Everyone else sucked, you're in!” Veth declared.
“What else to you know?” Jester asked Yasha.
Just like that Yasha was the new bass player for Chaos Crew and Beau had an almost overwhelming crush on her.